Devices utilizing the IEEE 802.11 standard protocols (sometimes referred to as “802.11 devices” or “WiFi devices”) typically operate on unlicensed spectrum that is shared with other 802.11 devices in what are often unplanned deployments. The spectrum may also be shared with other wireless technologies that operate on this unlicensed spectrum and may be co-located with the 802.11 device, possibly sharing resources such as antennas or radios. For example, the Bluetooth protocol and License-Assisted Access (LAA) on handsets may use these resources. The spectrum may also be shared with higher priority or “preferential” users of spectrum that 802.11 devices must detect and defer to, such as military or aviation radar systems. The spectrum may also be inundated with noise from electromagnetic emissions that may spectrally overlap with the current 802.11 channel.
The details of various embodiments of the methods and systems are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below.